2017-09-17 - Catching Up
| Catching Up | |
|---|---|
| Summary: Nanoha and Endo have a talk! | |
| Who: | |
| Where: Tokyo | |
| OOC - IC Date: 9/16/2017 - 2/16/2015 | |
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Tokyo +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ The capital and largest city of Japan, Tokyo is a glossy neon metropolis, with heaped skyscrapers served by an advanced railway system. Having long ago coated its most desirable land in buildings, Tokyo continues to grow up toward the sky and out into the ocean, reclaiming land in its well-sheltered bay to become artificial islands. Earthquakes and firebombs purged this city of most of its oldest architecture, so while some of its hills are weighted by the heavy tile rooves of yesteryear, its skyline is that of a modern, Western-influenced metropolis, verging at times on the futuristic. Tokyo is divided into three zones. The Yamanote Zone is the southwestern half of inner Tokyo, an upscale area known for its weath and style that is home to the private Ohtori Academy. The Shitamachi Zone is the northeastern half of inner Tokyo, a lower-income and more traditional area that contains the Juuban public schools. Finally, the Tama Region is a quieter uptown/suburban area east of the other two zones, and hosts lush parks and the innovative new Infinity Institute. Unbeknownest to the vast majority of its residents, Tokyo is also one of a small handful of places on Earth where the veil between worlds is most porous, and beings friendly and (more commonly) hostile often slip through. The same tricks of arcane geography and literal buried secrets that make Tokyo a transit point for such foreign elements also make it fertile ground for magic, and so battles for the soul of this city are waged just barely away from the public eye.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Earlier in day, Nanoha had rushed off for school, barely having time to have breakfast. All day it seems like she had been rushing to do everything. By the time she returned from school, Nanoha was exhausted. Her mom gently reminded her that being late usually throws the whole day off but seeing her youngest daughter's exhaustion she suggested going out for awhile. Maybe meeting up with a friend or two...
And so, this is why Endo received a text earlier and Nanoha asked him if they could meet up. Once a place was decided on, she got ready and changed out of her school uniform. Nanoha decided on wearing a pink dress with an intricate white design, black leggings and plain shoes with a small backpack. She still looks like a child but the outfit made her feel older.
It was a bit of a journey to the park and Nanoha considers what they would talk about. She had questions about what had happened to other night and can only imagine that Endo may have answers. If not, it would still be good to see him. After all, he did basically save her in a way. There was no way she could have handled Pluto on her own.
The park itself is pretty quiet and serene when she arrives. There are families out and about but it's easy enough to sneak away and find solitude if one desires. Nanoha breathes in the fresh air when she arrives, closing her eyes briefly and she easily find that the stress of her day seems to fade away...
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo's school day had been a typical example of such, a slow grind until the last bell finally freed him from his toil. With no club to attend and no work scheduled for the day, he's been left to his own devices for the day. And, as he tends to do, he's decided to spend it outside. Rare is the day Endo sits around.
He was already near Uminari when he got Nanoha's text, which makes it the most convenient place to meet. It's also a good place to run, as his dress will indicate. He wears clothing suited more for exercise than anything else, a loose green shirt and black running pants. A light jacket too, to help fend off the chill as the day grows later.
He waits near a bench at the side of the river, underneath the shade of a neatly trimmed tree. When he spots Nanoha's approach he smiles, raising a hand to indicate his presence. He'll wait until she joins him before she speaks, chiming, "Hey, Nanoha-san! How's it going?"
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
As Nanoha takes in the serenity of the park, a slight smile comes to her face. Looking around, her eyes finally meet Endo's and she walks over to him, breaking into a slow jog. "Endo-kun!" She seems really excited to see him and bounces a little on her toes before joining him near the bench.
"I am good! It's nice to see you!" She beams at him and then notices his outfit. "Oh, were you working out? I hope I didn't bother you!" Nanoha frowns a little before adding, "But I guess it is a nice day to be at the park. No rain and it's not too cold or hot."
The young girl then pulls something in a bag from within her backpack. "Here! I brought you something from the bakery!" If he opens it, he will find that beneath the wrapping is a large, star-shaped sugar cookie with white icing covering it and a happy smiley face on it. "Mom and Dad always bake these and they are one of my favorite things!" Of course, she had a lot of food favorites being the daughter of parents who both cook well.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo seems similarly pleased to see his small friend, nodding his head and indicating she can take a seat. Her concern is waved off after a second, the boy replying, "Ah, no, it's fine. I'm all tired out anyway, I ran a lot."
When he's presented with a cookie he takes it happily, examining the face on the front before carefully sinking teeth into one of the star's edges. "Yaa-it's good. I should go over there more, but I'd eat too much." A somber nod follows this. And, to prove it, he continues to nibble on the edges of the cookie for a moment more.
"You didn't get hurt too bad the other day, did you?" He squints for a second, as if in attempt to determine this himself, but she looks fine to him. Endo himself seems to be lacking any visible injuries, which he's quite thankful for.
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
"I don't know how you like running. It seems so... boring to me." Nanoha laughs. "I mean I guess I am just not good at sports and stuff in general so I never considered doing it on my own." She pauses, thinking about it for a minute. "But then again, we tend to get exercise in other ways right?" There is a vague gesture as she says this. "Still, maybe I should see if Arisa and my other friends want to do it sometime. I bet that they would be surprised if I asked. Haha!"
She beams a little as Endo munches on the cookie. "I am sure they would love to hear that." At the mention of eating too much Nanoha rubs a hand along the back of her neck. "Ah yeah... that could be a problem." There is a slight pause and then Nanoha raises a hand. "But you know, that just means you have to run twice as much right!" She then makes a thumbs-up gesture.
Finally taking a seat, Nanoha shakes her head. "I am fine! It was really exhausting though..." She frowns a little and then she looks up at him, eyes sparkling. "It's only because you were there that it was okay Endo-kun. I mean I don't know what was going on but I wasn't expecting that..." Nanoha idly wonders how much Fate had to deal with that she didn't tell her, being a Chevalier and all.
Nanoha swings her feet idly as she looks out across the park. "I was only there for a meeting but Kozue...Sayaka..." She thinks about it for awhile before continuing. "It was bad. Do you think Sayaka is okay? I know Madoka-chan helped her but she seemed so...empty." Nanoha frowns and lets out a deep sigh before looking back to the older student, hoping maybe he had some answers.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"Ah, well, running is nice. Out here you get the sea air and the nice scenery, so you have a lot to look at. And it keep you in shape. Next time I'll invite you along. Maybe I can even get Ren to come." He pauses, before adding helpfully, "All of you fly around everyone, you should get some real exercise." There's a note of humor in his voice, another bright smile before he returns to his nibbling.
"Mmm-well, I guess I helped out a little." He beams. "I'm glad, I was worried I wasn't going to be able to do anything. That girl with all the swords was really cool too, though. And I probably wouldn't have done as well without your help!"
"It was surprising, though. Sayaka's probably okay, I think Mami and Madoka will take care of her. I'm still not really sure what that girl did to her, but they said they could fix it." His shoulders roll backward, a helpless sort of shrugging motion. "Things have gotten really complicated. I mean, I guess there were before, but it feels like there's a lot more stuff to worry about lately."
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Nanoha seems excited about Endo's invitation. "Oooh! That could be fun but uh... I am not sure I could keep up." Considering it for a minute and thinking about Fate's better althletic abilities, she adds, "I bet Fate-chan would love it though. We could all come!" There is a small smile at the mention of flying around. "Ah yeah. We definitely like doing that."
She raises an eye to Endo, "What? Only a little?" She shakes her head. "You helped out a lot! I could have never handled it that well without you." Nanoha grins. "Pluto seemed determined to win... or at least defend Kozue." Still for reasons the young girl didn't understand.
Nanoha still seems sad about Sayaka when Endo mentions that she was probably okay. "I don't know. I mean, it was like she was a mannequin or something and the way she moved..." She shudders a little. "It was unnatural but I hope you're right and she'll be okay. Hopefully the key they found helped."
Complicated. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sometimes I wonder if I meant to do this kind of stuff." There is a moment of hesitation as she considers this. "...but then I remember what happened with Fate-chan and everything and I know that I have to." Whether she is sad or happy about this is unclear by her expression.
Looking towards the sky, Nanoha leans her head back and watches the clouds for a minute before speaking again. "So, that was supposed to be a meeting first right?" At least that's what Fate told her. "How much do you know about the group. I mean I know Fate-chan is in it and I considered joining but I haven't had the chance to talk to any other members." She pauses. "And you know since the meeting didn't happen, I am not sure who to ask about it." Nanoha shrugs a little.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"Fate-san will probably outrace both of us." Endo says this somberly, recalling his earlier attempt to teach the girl soccer. She was fast, even when she wasn't transformed!
"Thanks," He says to the compliment, beaming again. "Like I said, I'm just glad I could help. The girl we were fighting was tough-I don't think I've seen her before, but she's not like the other sailor senshi I've met." His lips press into a small line, giving that some small thought before moving on to the next topic.
"Aah, well, I'm not sure if I'm really the right person to ask. I mean, I'm part of the group now, but I'm pretty new." Regardless, after a brief pause he explains: "Sayaka-san and Mami-san made the Chevaliers to protect innocent people from both monsters and people who misuse their powers."
Endo's own eyes turn skyward for a second, brow wrinkling as he decides how to proceed. "But, there's a second group, called the Shepards, I guess. They believe that they can endanger other people, if it helps them. Like-Mami-san keeps Shibuya safe, but one of the members of the Shepards deliberately lets monsters in her part of town get bigger and stronger so she can use them, or use them to protect herself, or something. The Chevaliers have fought the Shepard's before, and I think that's why Kozue and the other Senshi wanted them to disband."
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Nanoha laughs. "I bet she would! You should see her playing DDR. She is quick even on that!" Even though Nanoha had just taught her recently, Fate caught on faster than she imagined. It made it more fun even though Nanoha herself wasn't that good and stumbled more than once over her own feet.
"Yeah. I wonder what her deal was. I mean I guess they were protecting Kozue but...why?" The thought causes her to pause, thinking it most likely had to do with the soul gems they were after. Maybe Fate would know more, Nanoha still hadn't told her about what happened yet, not wanting to worry her. Although, Fate maybe already knew.
The young girl listens to Endo's explanation about the two groups thoughtfully. She finally looks back to Endo, "Well, I guess I can see why Fate-chan is involved. I mean, abusing your powers for something like that..." Nanoha shakes her head. "That is awful and a little scary too. I mean I could never imagine doing that." Nanoha never wanted to fight to begin with but now at least she understands a little more about why the Chevaliers exist.
She smiles at Endo. "Thank you for the information though. I guess I need to find Mami-san. I mean it seems like something that I would be interested in...probably." Nanoha nods to herself. "I mean it's just another thing we have to do right? Protecting people is important!" She took that responsibility very seriously, even if she was young, she always tries her best.
Suddenly, Nanoha shivers a little. "Hrm, do you think we could go for a walk Endo-kun? It's getting a little chilly just sitting here." Nanoha looks towards the direction of the lake where the sun, although starting to fade from the daytime sky, is casting dancing shadows across the waters.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
To the topic of Kozue's allies, Endo can only shrug. "I guess they probably have some reason, but none of them seemed like they wanted to talk about it. I just hope they don't try again."
A nod after. "Yeah, you should talk to Mami-san. She and Sayaka are good people, that's why I joined them. They've always tried to protect others, so I just wanted to help. I think Fate's the same way." His face brightens are Nanoha's dedication, seeming to admire her resolve. Especially in someone so young. "Right, it's just our responsibility."
He rises to his feet after Nanoha's request, nodding his head and stuffing hands in jacket once he's finished off the last bits of his cookie. "Sure, we can do a loop around before we go. I don't want to keep you out too late."
He seems to hesitate for a second before broaching the next topic, but decides to continue on regardless: "You haven't heard anything about the Wolkenritter, have you? That's another responsibility of ours, but it seems like they've been keeping a low profile lately."
<Pose Tracker> Nanoha Takamachi [Infinity Institute (4)] has posed.
Nanoha frowns at the idea of the outer senshi trying something else. "I hope not either..." It was an awful thought but she also knows the lengths that a person would go to in order to get what they wanted but in the same regard, it meant that she had to be sure of herself and not let doubt cloud her mind
"I will do that Endo-kun!" She smiles warmly at the mention of Fate wanting to protect others. "Fate-san has been through a lot and I know she tries her best!" Nanoha pauses. "Like me!" She grins at her own remark.
The tiny student jumps off the bench as Endo agrees to go for a walk. "Right! I should head home soon but we can walk for a bit. I think that will be okay." She doesn't check her phone for the time yet knowing her mom or dad would likely text soon anyway to check up on her.
As they begin to walk around the lake, Nanoha watches the water change colors with the changing light. At Endo's question though she shakes her head, "I honestly have no idea. While I was gone overseas so much happened but now it's so quiet. It's kind of strange right..." She grows silent as they pass a few people walking their dog, only briefly eyeing the puppy before deciding not to ask to pet it. Once they're out of earshot she continues. "I just hope this doesn't mean they're planning something big..." It's an awful thought to the young girl with what she knew of them from Fate.
